Thanks for looking - I'm hoping to be back on the road this spring. Let me know if you come to Niagara this year or even London and I'm sure it could be arranged
I had Standard Auto Glass come by the garage and remove my cracked windshield at no charge. When the car is painted, he is coming back after 48hrs notice to install a new one for $300 CDN. I need to find a new surround first - I met a guy in Welland that thinks he has a spare, we'll see I guess.
Here's a couple shots of the windshield removed...
I went and picked up the spray adhesive since it wasn't shipped across the border due to TDG hassles... BTW - this post is brought to you by Alexander Keith's
I must admit that I didn't follow the DVD instructions exactly in order. I understand the concept of leaving one chair intact as reference, but I prefer to use the assembly line method copying each task from one seat to the next. I only did this after watching the whole video though and deemed that although I'm a rookie at unholstery work, it was still relatively straight forward given the scope of this project.
This is the seats with all existing unholstery removed - I used side cutters to remove all the existing hog rings:
I like the tip of reinstalling the lower bolts to assist finding the spot to cut later for hardware:
The kit comes with new hog rings, razor blades and a tool for installation of rings:
To assist installation for novices, Mr Mike recommends removing notches of foam to expose the wire, so you can see what you are attaching the rings to:
For the lower section of the seats, foam pads are supplied and spray glued to the seat bottom - I noticed that piece #1 is about twice the height of the one in the video - does anyone know if it should be cut? I thought they are all precut, but modifiying it would be easy...
For the upper sections, it is recommended to salvage the existing foam from the old upholstery and spray glue them into position after removing existing foam in order to expose the wires for rings:
Also included in the kit are instructions and cotton for repairing old worn bolsters:
One thing I have found with this type of work - patience is key, so I am going to save the install of the new skins for another day. Here are a few shots of the new seat colour and the seats prepped for reinstallation:
This afternoon I took my seat project into the basement to take advantage of warmer temps to ease the new seat cover installation. Following along with the DVD, I decided to work on the two seat bottoms. Installation of the new hog rings using the supplied tool is very easy. Just follow each step pausing the DVD as you go. Here are some pictures after today's progress on the bottoms recovered with the new tan leatherette:
Here is the first one installed with new hog rings and existing listing rods:
The second one when much faster - about 20-30 minutes:
The key is taking your time if you've never done this type of work before to ensure you don't rip or damage the new covers:
I will be recovering the seatbacks and reassembling the seats later this week... Thanks for looking.
Last night I got one of the seatbacks redone after a Manhattan to calm my nerves The driver's side outer bolster needed a repair so following the steps in Mr. Mikes printed material, I added cotton and duct tape:
The covers come inside out, so you start by aligning the headrest and then rolling down the shoulders and the seatback. I added cotton in the shoulder area as suggested in the video to eliminate wrinkles:
After the two listing rods are installed (a little tricky so be careful) the bottom seams are hog ringed to each other:
One down and one to go. I also added cotton to the bolsters on the lower sections of the seat for a nicer fit and to better match the look of the seatback. Next update by the end of the week should show both seats complete and reassembled. Thanks again Mr. Mike!
Alright, after another hour tonight the seats are done except reassembly of the hardware and tracks. I am keeping the seats out until the bodywork is done so they will be stored inside for a while. Here is a macro shot to display how nice the stitching of the Fiero emblem is - I recommend ordering the seat covers with emblems to give them a factory look:
Thanks also to www.myfiero.com for hosting the pictures here on page 6:
I highly recommend tackling this seat project yourself, as it is cost saving and you will find the results rewarding and satisfying:
I think the next posts will shift to a few mechanical repairs and upgrades in the engine bay while everything is clean prior to bodywork mods and paint prep. Stay tuned
So I got the seats bolted back together and tracks installed. I took some pictures of them completed and sitting temporarily back in the car to show you how they look and the colour match etc... I will be pulling them out to keep them clean during the bodywork.
It's been cold here, so once I get the woodstove reinstalled, I am going to tackle a few mechanical upgrades, which will give me more time to decide if any further body mods are desired before paint.
Finished bottom of Drivers Seat with tracks installed:
Side view showing seatback lever and trim with belt guide re-installed:
Finished seat on kitchen floor-very comfortable BTW
View from passenger side with door closed:
Front view shot through windshield frame:
Drivers side shot with door open:
Feels great to have the seats finally re-done and very satisfying to have done it myself - another car show story I can tell. They were an eyesore since I got the car and I'm glad they turned out exactly as Mr. Mike promised - Thanks again Mike.
So now that my woodstove is reinstalled and I have heat, I got motivated this weekend to do a little work:
1) Started the car and backed onto car ramps 2) Put the Fiero on jack stands to ease body work and allow motor to be lowered for Flexplate replacement 3) Removed the four rim/tires and put into storage, I plan to install new ones in the spring 4) Removed the new seats and put into storage to protect them from damage during bodywork 5) Put a fresh charge into the battery
I am going for an exterior body as smooth as possible so I removed the stock side marker lights and all the bodyside moldings:
The Sunbird Turbo fender flares are going to be blended in, so I removed the rubber strip from them so they can later can be fiberglassed right to the body:
I also plan to remove the outside door handles and lock cylinders since they were part of the bodyside molding and they aren't really needed on my roadster (weight savings too ) In order to do that, I will need to remove the interior door panels first:
Also removed was all the moldings around the side skirts as they will also be blended in to appear like part of the body rather than tacked on:
I still need ideas on the following:
1) How to best remove the molding at the front and rear of the car 2) What rear valance to use to hide the catalytic converters from plain view 3) How to improve on the B-pillar cover area and make trim to overlap the interior panels 4) How to replace the flexplate and starter by doing the least work possible 5) The best method for fiberglassing on the body and getting a good bond 6) A new side marker light solution 7) A new surround for the windshield 8) Possible elimination of the sun visors and recovering the upholstery 9) Molding in the hood vents near the rad that provide fan exhaust 10) Finishing rear spoiler that currently isn't as long as the rear deck
Yes the cats were needed to pass the final E-test last year. I might remove them in the future in order to fix some type of mufflers, not sure what I could get to fit though. Hardtop - yes, it's a back burner idea...not this year but copying the Miata design was the plan. This year a tonneau cover is probably all I will have made, since it's not a daily driver.
I do think the side skirts will turn out good when completed and I still like the front apron the best. Does anyone know if the bumper pads can be shaved flush or is there not enough material there?
I am considering changing the rear bumper cover to one that has the dual exhaust indents if I can find one around here..here's a shot of what I'm talking about:
I've messed around with rear skirts before but I might leave it alone this time cause it is the only way to get under the car currently! Painting the exhaust Black might help the cat from being so noticeable. This picture was taken from a low angle which you normally wouldn't do but you get the idea...
I'd STRONGLY suggest doing something for roll-over protection since the "B" pillar structure is now gone. You surely don't wanna depend solely on the windshield frame to support the weight of the car if you get hit and rolled.
I'd STRONGLY suggest doing something for roll-over protection since the "B" pillar structure is now gone. You surely don't wanna depend solely on the windshield frame to support the weight of the car if you get hit and rolled.
I was at the Toronto Auto Show last week wondering about that, while looking at the new Saturn Sky Redline - it doesn't provide much rollover protection either when the seat is the highest point and my head was the height of the windshield...
I guess that's something I could add anything if I find a design I like. I am glad the Fiero is so wide and is now only a couple inches off the ground making it very stable on its feet providing you keep it on the road...
Originally posted by Fiero2m8: I was at the Toronto Auto Show last week wondering about that, while looking at the new Saturn Sky Redline - it doesn't provide much rollover protection either when the seat is the highest point and my head was the height of the windshield...
I guess that's something I could add anything if I find a design I like. I am glad the Fiero is so wide and is now only a couple inches off the ground making it very stable on its feet providing you keep it on the road...
Fiero2m8
Kirk Racing (Alabama) makes a roll bar for the Fiero. We purchased one to put into our roadster, but were told that it was still too short for the competition that we wanted to enter. So, we ordered a another special roll bar from Kirt Racing which is about 4" taller with the veritcal portion of the bar closer to being perpendicular to the top bar when compared to their standard bar (side vertical bars angle slightly inward from the point of the cross bar). Photos can be found on this page: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...0710-1-037446-2.html
As a side point, I like that front spoiler on front bumper cover. Daytona you say? Can you provide some close up photos?
I'm still very much enjoying this thread. I can't help much, but I have a few ideas for you on your points:
2) What rear valance to use to hide the catalytic converters from plain view
How about a GT rear bumper with the mods as done by Fie Ro? He molded a GT wing into the bottom of a GT bumper. Looks darn cool. Not sure how it would look with your other mods, but it's a thought.
6) A new side marker light solution
(Assuming it's front markers you need) - I'm partial to the Mini Cooper side marker like Bubbajoe is using, or the 2003 Mazda Protege side markers (or something similar). I would like to add the Protege side markers to my car eventually.
Originally posted by Fiero2m8: Does anyone know if the bumper pads can be shaved flush or is there not enough material there?
Unfortunately, there is no chance of doing that. The inner contours follow the outer contours. You'd end up with two big ol holes there I have a spare coupe bumper in the basement that I can dig out and take a pic of if that would help.
Do you have any pics of the side marker lights you are referring too? Thanks for the info on the bumper pads - I didn't think so but it was worth asking. I have seen the GT wing mod here on Pennocks before and I think it was genius. I'll probably end up searching the boneyard to find something that will look fairly unique once the weather improves.
Do you have any pics of the side marker lights you are referring too? Thanks for the info on the bumper pads - I didn't think so but it was worth asking. I have seen the GT wing mod here on Pennocks before and I think it was genius. I'll probably end up searching the boneyard to find something that will look fairly unique once the weather improves.
Ryan
You're welcome Glad I can help in some little way. I'm looking forward to visiting Niagara one of these years and looking you up
Anyhow, the MINI markers that Joe used look like this: (I took this from his thread).
When installed on the car they look like this:
The Protege markers are pretty generic oval / Euro side marker lights -
Now that I've gone through that, I just realized you're probably looking for something closer to the end of the car than the middle. D'oh!
My LT1 is running. I need to get it aligned and the A/C charged. Still working on getting the Tach to work.
Thanks Bonzo, nice to hear from ya... The Tach was a tricky guage to get working for me and it's still not accurate, details are in this thread.
I decided to focus on the cosmetic stuff first as the mechnical can be done anytime and the car is running fine as is for the meantime. So I've got it back on the ground and am using an old boat cover of mine to help keep the interior clean.
I am considering changing the rear bumper cover to one that has the dual exhaust indents if I can find one around here..here's a shot of what I'm talking about:
I'm glad you like the stock backend I've got... but I think I kinda need it left on the car. ...Just passing through the forums for some info myself and found this - nice to see it's coming along, and a great read. - Likely see you back in Fonthill this summer (maybe other places too) Steve
I've been thinking about your front marker conundrum. Assuming that you need something for in front of the wheel to replace the lost light there, how about one of the vertical lights from a Focus GFX?
Something about the styling upgrades they did on that car looks really good.
Last weekend I got the door handles and lock cylinders removed on both sides on the car. It involved removing the inner door panels to gain access to the hardware. It should result in a smoother look once the bodyside moulding is filled in. Now I've got to search on the best way to fill in the gaps and avoid future cracking - I think jscott had some info on this...
Thanks for looking - I'm hoping to be back on the road this spring. Let me know if you come to Niagara this year or even London and I'm sure it could be arranged
id drive that far for a spin and to check the car out ^_- a fiero roadster would be ideal for me lol
Well we had a beautiful weekend up here which prompted me to take Fiero2m8 out for it's first spin of the year. I am pleased to report that it started, ran and drove beautifully with no issues My 10 year old son Andrew and I lined up in front of the house with a half dozen of his friends watching when he asked me to launch the car (without nitrous cause I don't have a bottle warmer yet). Trust me he didn't need to twist my arm as we proceeded to rocket off the line - no burnout here, it hooked hard even with the 3.73 overall gear ratio We left 2 - 55 foot long by 245mm wide black rubber marks on the street!!!!! Maybe someone can explain for me why without posi, I have 2 marks - all I can think of is good balance, excellent weight transfer and lots of torque... I didn't get a video or picture of it this time, but if today's rain didn't watch them away, I'll snap a pic of the marks.
Here are a few pictures I did take yesterday...
After much deliberation, I decided to reinstall the stock indicator lights in favour of new ones. This was mainly due to the fact that, I didn't want to remove the wrap around body moulding in the front and rear since they are part of the bumper covers rather than separate pieces.
So, between the wheelwells, I am going smooth the groove out and install a new moulding in the proper width, but one that ends up being fairly flush with the rest of the door. This will take less work, better match the ends of the car and reduce the possibililty of cracking bodywork in a high vibration area like the doors...
Here is the first shot of the seats in the sunlight. I think I will be replacing the firewall carpet with black carpet to better match the new proposed black body colour and highlight the seats better. Also the carpet didn't clean up as well as I had hoped.
Bodywork coming soon as I have a goal of getting it to the paint shop next month...
I need to find a new body surround for the windshield. I think I know where there is a car I can get one off, but I'd have to be very careful not to break it during removal. That Butyl Rope can be a pain to remove... In preparation for that, I removed everything off the header (sun visors, interior lamps etc). Now the new body trim can be installed. The Sunbird convertible interior piece is going to be re-upholstered in a black or tan. Here is the top of the windshield with everything removed:
Next I worked on the fender flares. With the rubber strips removed, I sanded the flares and surrounding body with a 40grit sandpaper to give the fiberglass a better surface to adhere to. Here is the front passenger side:
As you can see here, the flares off the Sunbird Turbo were orginally red. Here is the rear passenger side:
Next, 24 strips of fiberglass cloth were cut into strips 2" wide by 8" long and were applied and embedded in the fiberglass resin. Here is the front drivers side glassed:
The rear flare was done next and will need to blend into the Trans Am intake air vent:
Lots of sanding ahead of me! I'm taking next week off and plan to work on it full time so I can get it to paint ASAP
I must admit that this is the largest amount of bodywork I've attempted myself. However, gradual progress was made last week during my days off. It's a slow process of repetition, elbow grease and patience! Hopefully the results will be rewarding. In the first pic, I grinded and roughed up the area where the door moldings were. Once prepped, the fiberglass cloth was embedded and built up to flush with the rest of the door:
Here is a shot of the rear pillar I made with the window rolled up. I didn't like the indent just above the rear top edge of the door...
Here are a couple pictures of the new design. I built the fiberglass out flush with the door and made the whole top a rectangle. Then I used my angle grinder converted into a sander with 80 Grit sandpaper to shape a notch. The notch allows the widow to be completely rolled up if necessary. I don't plan on running the windows up (pet peeve of mine) but wanted them to retain their ability to roll up completely:
Now I just have to make the driver's side look the same
Another area I wanted to smooth was around the rad vents I added. I roughed up the area with 40 Grit sandpaper and fiberglassed them in:
I also glassed the top of the side skirts to the doors I decided not to glass the front apron/spoiler in case I touch a curb after it's painted that might cause a crack. With the fiberglass done, now is the time consuming process of sanding layers of pro body filler with gradually finer sandpaper:
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